The Founders

Sandira Belia

I was born in France, from a mother bee-keeper, bathing in the bee world from an early age. Since 2012, I have been exploring the interactions between the spiritual and the practical approaches of bee-keeping. I learned to communicate with the Deva of the bees, with nature spirits and other presences.

I am now living in central Portugal, close to the ocean, and I dedicate my life to bridge humans and nature. The bees are my muse, my inspiration, my allies in this work. My book Bee Wisdom: Teachings from the Hive is now available in English.

Annelieke van der Sluijs

In 2009, I invited a beekeeper to bring bees to our community garden in Coimbra, Central Portugal. The bees filled the air with “something” that made my heart sing and enlivened the space. My fascination for this “something” brought me to Alentejo, where my first BeeShip with Sandira, in 2017, naturally evolved into a collaboration and a living together with the bees.

I take care of the bees in the Alentejo BeeGrid, plant and sow forest habitat, and thrive as a “weaver” in the BeeWisdom network, endlessly inspired by the artful communion of bees as a colony and with the landscape.